Improvement in devices for crimping cartridges



C. E. SNEIDER.

improvement in Devices for Crimping Cartridges No. 131,188, Patented 8811.10, 1872.

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cnARLEs SXEIDER, or RALr1MoRE, MARYLAND, AssrenoR T0 HIMSELF AND DUNCAN o. CLARK, 0F sAME rLAcE.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR CRIMPING CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 131,188, dated September 10, 1872.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GHARLEs E. SNEIDER, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Orimpers for Crimping Oartridges; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents the crimper in perspective, and Fig. 2 represents in section the crimper and the cartridge in the act of being crimped thereby. V

Similar letters of reference where they occur in the separate figures denote like parts of the crimper in both figures of the drawings.

My invention consists in an instrument or machine for crimping cartridges, composed essentially of movable crimping-jaws with appliances for operating them, and a gage for defining the place where the crimp is to be made.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same by reference to the drawingfirst premising that shot cartridges, as at present used, the cylinders or shells of which are made of paper, after they have been charged with the powder and shot and the customary wads, have had their top portions turned in and folded down upon the top wad so as to hold it and the charge from dropping out or becoming loose. To thus turn down orturn in the top of the cartridge-case involves the necessity of trimming off the excess of the case or shell above the top wad, and when so shortened the case cannot be recharged with a different or greater charge than before, and which it is often very desirable to be able to do. Again, when the turned-in top is used, the cartridges must always be of an uniform or nearly so length, they cannot be recharged so as to be longer than before, and if shortened they will not fill the bore or chamber of the gun.

My invention has for one of its objects the so crimping or creasing the cartridge case or shell as that it will hold in the wad and charge without cutting 0d the top or excess of length i of case above or beyond the top wad, and by this means the case can be recharged with a greater or lesser charge, and yet the shell or casewill always fill the bore or chamber -or, in other words, the charge may be greater or less, but the shell remains of uniform length.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the. same with reference to the drawing.

A A represent a pair of crimping-jaws, having handles or levers B 13 attached, which are pivoted at a, it being the point where the handles, levers, or extensions cross each other. The inner perimeters of the curved jaws are beveled or rounded so as to form a crease in the paper or other similar substance of which the body of the cartridge-case is composed. The pivot-pin a is extended upward so as to form a standard, upon the top of which an arm, 0, is secured, and from the end of this arm a gage or follower, D, extends downward and terminates at or about the plane of the jaws A. In Fig. 2, b represents the body of a cartridge, which is made of paper, paperboard, or other similar substance, and 0 represents a metallic cup or heel, forming the bottom thereof. at is a wad or interior base, in which the recess e for containing the cap or other fulminate is formed. f represents the charge of powder; g, the wad overlying the powder; h, the charge of shot; and i the wad overlying the shot.

When the cartridge has been charged and the top wad i put in, the gage or follower D is placed in the end of the cartridge, and rests upon said top wad; the jaws A of the crimper are then brought up against the exterior of the shell or case, and form a crimp or recess immediately over or against the top wad, which holds it, as well as the charge, firmly in the cartridge-case.

These cartridge-cases are used over and over again, and sometimes it is desirable to change the quantity of the charge. This can be easily done, inasmuch as the top of the cartridge is not cut 011' but is allowed to remain and by remaining it uniformly fills or occupies the same space in the chamber or bore of the gun.

The crimper, too, has the capacity for crimping a range of cartridges extending through many sizes or numbers, as it is immaterial in what particular part of the case, within the range of the gauge, the top wad may be, and when the gauge rests upon said wad the jaws are at the right position for making the crease 011'1 shoulder that holds it to its place on the s ot.

' Having thus described my invention, What 1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

A crimper for crimping cartridges, composed essentially of the jaws and handles or levers for operating them, and a gauge for defining the place where the crimping or creasing is to be done, substantially as described.

CHARLES E. SNEIDER. Witnesses:

SAML. J ARDEN, V

J NO. R. TALIAFERRO. 

